“Could it be…” Seeing the card and prompt on the iPad screen after the video ended, Ye Chui’s heart pounded, “Can I summon the Black Gold Flame Dragon? Does my iPad have a summoner’s talent?”
Recalling the battle between the Black Gold Flame Dragon and the invading demons, Ye Chui’s breathing slowed. He quickly tapped the prompt to confirm the summoning.
A progress bar appeared on the screen.
[Summoning Initiated]
1%… 2%… 3%…
“What’s wrong?” Debbie asked curiously, waving her hand in front of Ye Chui’s face.
Ye Chui brushed her hand away, “Don’t mess around. I’m about to show you a miracle.”
“What miracle?” Debbie’s curiosity piqued.
“Heh, just wait and see,” Ye Chui said smugly, feeling he was about to become unstoppable. Though his iPad magic book gave him an edge in this world, it wasn’t enough to dominate others completely. Restrictions had forced him and Debbie into the Ruins of the Gods unprepared.
If he could summon the Black Gold Flame Dragon, a glorious era of crushing victories awaited.
But then—
[Summoning Failed: Required Summoning Medium Not Detected]
The progress bar stopped at 9%, like a failed software installation.
“Summoning medium?” Ye Chui was puzzled. He tapped the card prompt again to retry.
Debbie, growing bored, watched Ye Chui’s actions. With her arms crossed, she leaned against a nearby tree, scanning their surroundings cautiously. They had descended Dragon Head Mountain, surrounded by withered trees, aged five thousand years. In this spatial fragment, lacking sunlight and nutrients, the trees had died quickly but hadn’t decayed.
Trees in the Gods’ Garden were clearly no ordinary plants.
The place reeked of decay and death, yet it wasn’t lifeless. Debbie, who had lived here for half a month, knew this well. The garden was safe as long as they avoided the castle and the “forbidden zone” to the east.
[Summoning Failed: Required Summoning Medium Not Detected]
The iPad magic book displayed the prompt again.
“Damn it!” Ye Chui shouted.
A thud followed as a figure fell from the tree beside Debbie, startling both her and Ye Chui. The figure cried out in pain, “Ah!” As he struggled to his feet, they were shocked to see it was Green!
“Wow!” Debbie’s mouth fell open, staring at Ye Chui in awe, thinking Green’s fall was the miracle he’d promised.
“What are you doing here?” Ye Chui asked, sweating, deciding to let her believe this was the miracle. He glanced up at the tree, guessing Green had been hiding there and was startled by his shout, causing him to fall.
Falling from such a height, Green looked worse for wear, his leg now injured.
“I was being chased by that terrifying creature, running aimlessly until I climbed this tree to escape. I saw you two coming and was about to climb down when I got startled and fell…” Green explained, panting, his eyes showing a mix of relief at seeing Ye Chui and Debbie.
In the Ruins of the Gods, companions brought a sense of safety, even if these two were the reason he was in this mess.
Ye Chui helped Green up, “Where’s the creature now?”
“No idea. A few minutes ago, I saw her pass under the tree, still looking for me,” Green said, still shaken, then added, puzzled, “Why does she only chase me? She doesn’t seem to care about you two.”
“Maybe because you’re better-looking,” Debbie said seriously.
Ye Chui added, “She’s been alone here for five thousand years. She probably wants a companion.”
Green shivered, “Stop joking!”
“Don’t worry. I’ve adventured here before and met her. She looks terrifying and loves chasing people, but she doesn’t actually harm anyone,” Debbie said with a reassuring smile. She scanned the area, “There’s a safe spot nearby. Let’s go there. I’ll summon Aph to heal your injuries.”
The trio set off toward Debbie’s safe spot.
During her half-month stay, Debbie had found a secure hideout, safe from the creature’s harassment. On the way, she eagerly used a small knife to cut red mushrooms growing on dead wood. These Dragon Blood Mushrooms were delicious, whether in soup or grilled. Debbie excitedly promised Ye Chui he’d taste her cooking skills later.
Soon, they reached a massive fallen tree.
The tree was enormous, broken at the trunk, and hollow inside, with a hidden entrance covered by weeds and vines. Debbie had clearly found a great hideout during her stay. She cheerfully prepared to lead them inside, but then her expression turned serious. She crouched and picked up a white feather from the ground.
Undoubtedly, it was from the terrifying creature’s wing.
The three instantly grew alert, scanning their surroundings.
“She’s nearby!” Ye Chui summoned his magic book again.
Debbie pulled out her summoning key, on high guard.
Despite her kind nature, Debbie grabbed Green and pushed him toward the tree hollow, “Hide inside first!”
Green, who had summoned his own magic book, felt touched by her words. Knowing his injuries would only hinder them, he nodded and crawled into the hollow.
Then his body froze.
In the dim hollow, traces of Debbie’s past stay were visible: a fire pit in the centre, a simple bed of dried grass nearby. Most crucially, and terrifyingly, the creature stood beside the fire pit! She seemed to have just discovered the hollow and entered out of curiosity, likely dropping the feather outside in the process…
“No sign of her nearby. She’s probably gone,” Debbie said, crawling inside.
Ye Chui followed, “This place seems safe…”
Both froze.
The creature held a small pot Debbie had used. Her patchwork face tilted, emitting a puzzled sound, “Screech?”
The scene turned unbearably awkward…
